Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Wednesday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Sunshine and showers
A good amount of dry and bright weather, but scattered bursts of rain, some may be locally heavy.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 30th September 2026
Last updated
Tue 29th Sep 26 at
4:15PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Heavy rain sweeps northeast across England and Scotland through morning: persistent falls, locally torrential with risk thunder, particularly west Scotland early hours. Rain soon clears Wales, more widely by midday, bright skies follow, trending cooler and showers developing. Widely windy, gales in Scotland.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Morning severe gales and heavy rain; afternoon sun, late showers
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly 50-60mph early hours, gusting 75mph+ over Cairngorms plateau. Shifting southerly and lessening to mostly 40-50mph for the rest of the day.
Effect of the wind on you?
Mobility difficult for a few early hours, strongest gusts knocking you off balance and blowing you around; effects lessening but walking remains widely arduous in exposure with notable wind chill.
How Wet?
Heavy rain for a time, then later showers
A band of rain moves northeastward across the region from dawn, persistent for several hours with extended heavy falls, perhaps torrential southern Cairngorms, remote risk a flash of lightning. Rain breaks up from midday, dry for several hours, then showers return from the south later.
Cloud on the hills?
Extensive morning, breaking to banks on tops
Extensive cloud over the hills in early rain, then lifting rapidly and clearing toward upper slopes late morning through midday, though some patches may variably come and go on high tops and some high southern aspects. Later, banks return more broadly on high terrain where showers occur.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Practically nil in the morning, rising to 60% well into afternoon
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast and dull through morning, very poor visibility. Breaking up for often sunny conditions afternoon, extensive sun north of the Cairngorms.
How Cold? (at 900m)
Humid 12C or above in the morning, variably dropping afternoon to finish near a fresher 9C. Feeling near/below freezing in the wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 1st October 2026
Last updated
Tue 29th Sep 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 20-30mph, will vary with some periods of lighter speeds. Strengthening overnight.
Effect of the wind on you?
Nuisance wind in exposure likely all day with a chilly feeling, more strenuous walking on high Cairngorms at times.
How Wet?
Little expected
A few showers drift onto hills around Drumochter at times, but any falls light and most other hills entirely dry.
Cloud on the hills?
Increasingly just high tops with breaks
Cloud from 900m upward southern Cairngorms, rolling over the tops, scattered low patches too; well-broken north slopes. Cloud will lift to just patches over tops, increasingly broken, to fleeting patches over tops near Ben Macdui.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
Rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Sun increasingly extensive, particularly north and east. Very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7 or 8C, may rise a degree towards Glen Avon. Feeling near 0C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 2nd October 2026
Last updated
Tue 29th Sep 26 at
4:15PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 25-35mph, sometimes quite gusty.
Effect of the wind on you?
Blustery in exposure all day with a chilly feeling, some more strenuous moments in buffeting gusts and feeling chilly.
How Wet?
Often raining
Persistent rain over Drumochter and west Cairngorms most of the day, broader areas of rain passing east to west more widely, several extended heavy falls on southern Cairngorm slopes probable.
Cloud on the hills?
Tops shrouded, lowest bases southwest
A layer of cloud unlikely clears above 1100m even during breaks in rain, bases regularly lower, approaching 600-700m towards Drumochter, ragged patches to forest canopies during and after heaviest rainfall.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A few bright glimpses north of high Cairngorms, more often cloudy. Varied visibility but often poor in cloud and rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
6 or 7C. Feeling like 0 to -3C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Planning Outlook
Fresher, blustery south-southwesterlies from overnight Wednesday persist on Thursday: showery in the west early but trending drier and brighter widely. A new frontal system approaches late Thursday and overnight, then Friday will be a wetter day again; rain quite frequent with extensive cloud for many and quite blustery. On Saturday, higher pressure begins expanding from the south, increasingly settling the weather in England and Wales; temperatures generally mild, some cool nights when skies are clear, also sometimes feeling humid. The following week remains mixed, some settled windows in England and Wales with bright breaks east, but more often windy, particularly Scotland with periods of rain, the wind and rain expanding more widely at times.